Ears and Footsteps
by jasadin
Summary: Everyone has gone to a big warehouse for the final face off against Dupris the “Big Bad” and his army of vampires. A fic i wrote when i was younger and have decided to post... BA, XC, WO
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Ears and Footsteps

**Author:** young-jasadin

**Rating:** M

**Fandom:** Buffy the vampire slayer

**Spoilers: **I have No idea where this fits into the series. Cordy and Angel feature, but Joyce doesn't hate Angel… hmmmm. Oh, Buffy's an immortal, Xander is a vampire (a good one) – he's in a group of archangels – whom I think help out immortals…

**Authors Notes:** Okay, I just found this fic that I wrote many, many, many years ago. It was written as a conclusion to another Buffy fic that I once read – but so much time has gone by that I have no idea what the fic was or who wrote it. So if you find out, please let me know.

This is exactly as I wrote it all those years ago. I don't actually remember what the original fic was about. I know that there was a big bad that Buffy had to defeat and according to what I've written his name is 'Dupris'. But I'm pretty sure that's not what he was called in the original – but once again my memory fails me.

So here it is…

**Summary: **What I like to think of as the 'ultimate crappy Buffy soap opera'. Everyone has gone to a big warehouse for the final face off against Dupris (the "Big Bad") and his army of vampires.

**Disclaimer: **NONE of these characters are mine.

- - - -

**_The story continues…_**

By now, Xander's entire army of archangel's and Buffy's slayerettes were scattered around the room. As Buffy watched, Dupris crossed the room, on the way kicking Xander in the chin and slapping Angel sharply across his face, causing him to fall to the ground. Upon which a group of vampires leapt onto him.

Buffy then realised that Dupris was headed her way.

"Oh shit!" she said to herself.

She started backing away, and then tripped over something. She turned around and saw it was stairs leading to an empty stage in the middle of the room. She ran up the stairs onto the stage.

Suddenly the fighting stopped.

The room fell silent. The only two things Buffy could here was her heart pounding against her chest and footsteps.

The crowd of vampire's parted as they let their leader pass and Dupris walked onto the stage. Buffy quickly turned looking frantically around the room. She finally found him. Her eyes locked with Angel's whose were filled with worry. They both whispered 'I love you', when suddenly a cruel, cold voice cut in.

"How sweet. A slayer and her vampire boyfriend." Chuckled Dupris.

"Why thanks, but I think that we've got a bit of unfinished business to attend to before we what." Replied the Buffster casually.

The fight began and the room watched breathlessly, waiting for the outcome.

They kicked and punched until Dupris was bending over in pain. Buffy smiled, walked up to him and slapped him hard across the face causing him to scream in pain. "That was for Angel", then kicked him making him fall flat on his back. "That was for Xander and this is for me and everyone else, you bastard!" shouted Buffy.

Dupris crumbled to the floor in pain and agony. Buffy quickly glanced around, her eyes searching for a weapon. She suddenly noticed an axe on the floor beside her feet.

Strange, she thought, because she had not noticed it earlier. She lifted it high about her head, ready to strike, when she heard a shout. She turned around just in time to see a vampire leaping at her. She sliced the axe through the air, cutting him in half across his midsection, then watched as he turned to dust.

She then heard a 'gasp'.

She turned around to face Dupris, once more lifting the axe above her head and Buffy gasped herself when she realised that he was no longer there. Then in an instant the axe she had been brandishing was removed from her grip. She looked up and saw Dupris hovering above her, now holding the axe.

He slowly drifted back to the ground. She screamed in pain. It was as though someone was throwing knives at her. His power was much too powerful for her.

"And now it's your turn" Dupris sneered as Buffy crumbled to the ground. He lifted the axe and everybody seemed paralyzed.

"Any last words?" He laughed cruelly.

Weakly Buffy spoke, though she was barely moving. "My friends and family. I love you all so much, yes, even you Spike". Spike sniffled. "Thanks for being there for me always. And, and…"

"Yes? Are you done yet? My arm is beginning to hurt" mocked Dupris.

"And" Buffy whispered "I love you Angel."

With that, Dupris axe sliced through the air, carving through her neck, killing her in the only way an immortal can be killed. Angel crumpled to the ground sobbing his heart out. The love of his life was dead.

Slowly the realization began to set in for all of Buffy's friends and the shock took over, every one of them sinking to the ground, overcome with sorrow by the recent loss of their friend. Although she had not known them all that long, Buffy had managed to find a special place in everyone's hearts. Everyone wept openly for their lost friend.

Dupris laughed at the sight and began to walk towards Xander, who was clutching Cordelia tightly to his body sobbing. The vampire's all began moving in that direction also.

Suddenly a bright light came upon the stage.

* * *

TBC 


	2. Chapter 2

Although no one could see it, Buffy was restored and happier and more powerful than ever before.

Suddenly a voice cut in.

"Hey! How come nobody told me that party was over! Come on! I mean, the fun's only just begun!"

Everyone turned and looked up to see Buffy standing there smiling, as though she had just been elected Prom queen.

"What the-? " shouted Dupris. "You were immortal. I chopped off your head just now, you should be bloody dead!"

"Tut tut. Watch your language Mr Dupris" Buffy laughed merrily "Anyway, when do I ever go by the rules?" Everyone was still standing in shock watching her.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" she asked worriedly looking around. Then she noticed Angel, sitting on the ground on the other side of the room with red, puffy eyes.

Buffy ran full speed leaping off the stage and landing about a metre in front of Angel. She dropped to her knees and hugged him ""

What's wrong my little Angel? Its okay, Buffy's here now.

She said soothingly as though talking to a child.

"Are you real?" asked Angel, hesitantly touched her cheek.

"What do you think?" She leaned forward and kissed him passionately.

"Whoops! I forgot that we weren't alone. Well anyway. I'd better go kick some vampire butt. Love you!" she said kissing him quickly on the nose.

She walked quickly onto the stage again. Then shouted "Hey, turn up the music! Dupris com up and dance with me"

No one moved. "Come on! Don't be a chicken. I don't bite Remember?" she giggled to herself. "That was a good one! I'll have to remember that."

Dupris marched onto the stage enraged. "You little blonde bitch! How did you do it? How did you survive?"

"I don't know? Why don't you tell me?"

then at the exact same time Dupris picked up some stakes and Buffy the axe. He threw them at her and she jumped high to avoid them, landing to the ground and slicing the axe down his centre, killing him. Buffy dropped the axe and brushed her hands together, then looking at the headless man said: "Eww! Gross! Cordy, come and look at this."

She looked around the room while everyone stood staring at her figure transfixed.

"What! Oh come on people. Show's over! Get going – get a life!" She began to giggle again and everyone started to turn away. "Sorry. Only kidding - the parties not over yet!" Shouting now she said: "Okay, get to work all you slayerettes and archangels. Have some fun and kick some serious vampire arse!"

Angel stood smiling again. "That's my girlfriend" he stated proudly. Buffy overhearing him turned around to look his way. "and don't you forget it!"

The fight began. After watching Buffy the gang had somehow gotten their strength and spirit back. And the vampires were all killed in less than one hour. Until there was only one vampire left. Everyone watched as Xander approached him.

Buffy walked up to Xander and said quietly: "Let me have him." Buffy walked up to the vampire. She spoke to him bitterly. "I came to this town to escape all of you. I didn't want to be the slayer, but I eventually accepted my calling - which turned out to be a good thing because I gained many new friends." She turned to smile at them sadly. "I have had to give up so much of my life because of you bastards. I risk my friends lives all the time and what, I've died twice now!" she starts to advance on the vampire, who in turn looked terrified and began to back away.

"I guess I can't hate you as much as I'd like to, because otherwise I wouldn't have met all these great friends. But I can still hate you" she punched and kicked him in the stomach. "I hate you for being vampires!" Punches and kicks him again. "And…" she lunged at him, beating him until he was unconscious. "For…" while still whacking him "taking my life!" Buffy struck out against the vampire again and again, while tears rolled down her face.

Everyone watches on, silently crying for Buffy. Angel walks up to her and pulls her off the vampire. He hugs her and she crumples to the ground, no energy left, sobbing into his shoulder. Angel rocked her slowly back and forth, comforting her. He looked up and saw the vampire, beaten but still alive, although every bone in his body was broken. He leant over and put a stake through his chest.

Then standing up, he picked up Buffy and said to the others.

"Let's go home."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Later that night**_

Everyone is at Xander's.

Everyone is sitting down, talking quietly amongst themselves except for Buffy who is asleep, her head resting on Angel's lap.

Then a spine-tingling scream cut through the air.

"Aaannnnngggggeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllll! Nooooooo. Willow? Xander? Cordy? Why? I thought that you guys were my friends! What? No, don't kill me, I don't want to be a vampire."

Buffy who was having a nightmare screams again. Angel shakes her. "Shhh, it's me! You were having a nightmare. Are you okay?"

Buffy jumps up and starts backing away from them all. She looks around at them, scared, holding up her fists to show that she was willing to fight.

Angel stood, holding out his arms to her. "Buffy, what's wrong? We're not going to hurt you."

"Really?" Buffy asked quietly in a voice sounding like a little child rather than her usually over confident self.

"Promise!" Buffy runs into his arms and starts crying quietly.

"Angel, I'm scared"

"I know babe. But it's going to be okay."

Buffy was lead to the couch again by Angel where she fell asleep almost at once. But this time it was peaceful as she was in her lovers' arms and knew she was safe.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Next Day**_

All day Buffy had stayed in one spot not eating or drinking and only saying "I want my little angel"

After the sun had gone down that day, Angel and Spike had returned and Buffy ran immediately to the safety of Angel's embrace.

Starts crying and says. "I missed you Angel"

Rachel: "She sure did! She didn't move all day and just said that. 'I want my little Angel'"

"Buffy you must calm down! You've beaten the vampire and once again saved the world! And with Angel and all these others around you, you are perfectly safe" said Giles kindly.

Slowly Buffy calmed down. But still remained in Angel's arms.

"So now all we have to do is find out how Buffy came back to life! Said Cordelia. "It's kinda freaky!"

"Yes, I've never heard of anything like it" exclaimed Giles.

"Me neither" remarked Michael

"We're still looking" explained Oz, who was at the computer with Willow sitting on his lap.

Everybody began chatting amongst themselves.

"Hey!" Willow said quietly. No one hears. She jumps up off Oz's lap. "We've found it!"


	5. Chapter 5

"What?" asked everyone. 

Willow: "Well there was this one time over 1000 years ago where an immoral came back after having his head cut off. It says here" she said reading off the computer screen "that just before having his head removed, Justin Xoola thanked everyone for making his life worth living. H told them how much he appreciated and loved them. Minutes later Xoola came back to life miraculously healed. Happier and more powerful than before."

"Wow. That's just what happened to Buffy! She said how much she loved us! That's so cool!" exclaimed Rachel.

"So you lived through an act of love. Awwww that's so sweet" said Angel hugging then kissing her.

Buffy blushed furiously.

"Ummm…. Guys? Look, I know that I'm no expert at this stuff, but you should all know that the slayer rule goes by now. A slayer dies and another one is called…" Cordy pointed out.

Kissing her on the head Xander replied. "She's right you know. There was Kendra" Buffy sniffles "and then came Faith. So rightfully another slayer should have been called."

"Wow. Three slayers" exclaimed Willow "I wonder who she is?"

"Well Buff." Said Oz "You've got yourself quite a reputation now, don't you? The first ever slayer to have friends, the first to not obey your watcher and the council, you've died twice now, broken the only 'one slayer' rule, you're dating a vampire, killed the Master and have saved the world so many times that it's impossible to keep up. Pretty good I reckon." Ox finished his monologue and everyone stared at him stunned.

He then broke the silence. "Obviously I could do better though." Everybody laughed and Willow hugged him tightly.

Buffy grinned broadly and then started looking strangely at Rachel.

Okay, why can't everyone go now? We've saved the day. I just want to spend some quality time with Michael Rachel thought.

Buffy closed her eyes. "Oh shit."

Angel replied. "We don't have to go you know"

"Huh?" Buffy enquired confused.

"We're all talking about going to the bloody movies to help cheer you up and then you come out and say 'Oh shit!'" shouted Spike.

Buffy suddenly felt her head spinning. She was really dizzy and could barely stand.

"Please can everyone leave the room, quickly?" Buffy asked them desperately, trying to ignore all the thoughts she heard.

"But…" Angel protested.

"Please…?" Buffy pleaded. "Okay" they replied.

Everybody left the room closing the door behind them.


	6. Chapter 6

Buffy tried to think straight. What should I do? she asked herself. I know! I'll message Willow on her mobile! Buffy got out her phone and wrote.

_**Hey Guys,**_

_**Luv ya Angel**_

_**I'm starting 2 hear ppls thoughts again.**_

_**It's driving me MAD! Plz HELP!**_

_** 3 Buffy tvs**_

She messaged it to Willow and heard the ring go off in the other room.

"Turn that bloody thing off Willow!" said Spike.

"Yes" everyone agreed

"No Willow! Check it!" shouted Buffy. "and please STOP thinking!"

Then she broke down crying again.

Angel started to move towards the room that Buffy was in.

"No Angel!" Willow instructed sternly. "We must read Buffy's message!"

She read it out aloud. Xander looked at Willow.

"Can you remember how we stopped it last time? I can't"

"Nope. Me neither." Willow shook her head.

"Great the slayers gonna go crazy and you've all had a memory loss!" screamed Spike.

"Shut up Spike!" everybody said in unison, including Buffy.

Buffy suddenly screamed, then fainted to the ground. The others heard and ran into the room. Angel tried to wake her up but to no avail.


	7. Chapter 7

_**30 minutes later**_

Buffy still hadn't woken but was now in a nice warm bed.

"This is so confusing" Willow complained. "Why does everything have to happen to Buffy? And why all at the same time?"

"Well it was in the job description." commented Spike.

Angel who was sitting on the bed with Buffy, holding her hand glared at him. Giles and Joyce walked into the room.

Joyce: "How is she?"

"She hasn't moved. I'm getting really worried." said Xander.

"Well, I've been searching through my books and I think that I might know what's happening to Buffy" responded Giles.

"What!" everyone exclaimed.

"Is it bad?" asked Angel, afraid for his immortal slayer girlfriend.

"Not necessarily. I think that Buffy is being tested" explained Giles.

"How? By torturing her?" said Angel getting frustrated.

"Angel. Chill! Stress less!" said Cordy annoyed. "Just listen."

Everybody laughed as the bug dark vampire started backing away from the petite fashion queen.

"Anyway, back to Buffy. I think that the Gods are testing her."

"Really?" exclaimed Willow getting interested. "I was going to mention it before but I thought that you would say it was too far-fetched!"

"They wouldn't want to test her." Joyce stated firmly. "That's ridiculous!"

"Is it? as Oz said before, Buffy is the greatest slayer to have ever lived. She's now immortal, and she has been such a blessing to the world that this is the only thing they can think to thankas her with."

Angel still not understanding asked. "But how is being tested by the God's a gift?"

"Willow? I think that you'd better explain."

"Okay. I could take a long time to explain this, but I think I'll take the easy way out. Buffy is being tested to become a God!"

Angel fainted and Buffy who had been unconscious awoke with a start and screamed. "AANNGGELL!"

"Oh my god!" she jumped out of bed and ran to where Angel was lying on the ground and began to shake him. Everyone was too shocked to move. Angel didn't wake.

She started crying "What did you do to him?"

He stirred. Buffy helped him to sit up and then hugged him tightly, both crying in each others arms.

The others started heading out, but neither noticed to wrapped up in each other.

"I'm so scared Angel." cried Buffy "I don't want to be tested"

"How do you know about that ? You were unconscious!" exclaimed Angel

"I heard everything though. When you fainted I woke."

"Maybe we have a special connection" suggested Angel.

"I'd like that" Buffy smiled through her tears.

Angel kissed her softly on the lips and Buffy replied hungrily. Angel broke the kiss and asked her "Can you still hear people's thoughts?"

"Yes. But now I can control it. Look, ummm…okay I'm gonna see what Cordy's thinking. Oh ewww! Umm, ok then Willow. Okay, well Willow's just trying to figure out this whole God thing."

"That's kinda cool I mean being able to hear people's thoughts and all!"

"yeah, I guess. Though it can get really annoying. Let's go back to the others - I think that we kind of freaked them out."

Buffy and Angel walk hand and hand back into the other room.

Cheerfully. "Hey guys! What's up?" said the Buffster.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked cautiously.

"Fine. Okay, now how about this God thing? How can I stop them?"

"We!" Shouted everybody.

Buffy looks sheepish while Giles says.

"There is NO way we are going to let you do this alone."

"Ok fine." Grumbled Buffy, secretly pleased.

"Well, are you positive that you want to stop them? I mean wouldn't becoming a God be kind of cool?" Willow enquired.

Buffy mockingly: "No way! I might get a big head!"

"Like you don't already have one" mumbled Cordelia.

"Hey!" Angel advanced on her.

"Chill, Angel. Kidding! No hard feelings." Cordelia smiled sweetly.

"Hey, it's ok. She's just joking. I don't mind" Buffy told him soothingly.

"Back to the subject, not to break this endearing moment or anything, but how can we possibly stop Gods from doing whatever they want?" Michael enquired.

"We attack!" said Buffy and Xander in unison.

"Jinx!" Buffy screamed, which was then followed a millisecond later by a "jinx!" from Xander.

Xander: "I said it first!"

"No, I did!"

"Shut up children!" order Willow. "Oops sorry" she looked sheepish.

"We can't attack" Cordy said looking horrified at the thought.

"It's probably the only way" Angel said slowly

Buffy smiled up at him. "Okay then. It's settled. "


	8. Chapter 8

"Okay, now let's get into groups to see what our defences are like. Stand where I tell you. Okay, vamps with me, witches stand where Willow is, people able to use a variety of weapons over there near Giles and the Sla- " Xander got interrupted.

"The what?" Buffy inquired politely.

"Ummm.. you!" Stand by that table" he replied nervously.

"Oh, but I've got a group. I'm with you. The vampires."

"But you're not a vampire… are you?"

"Nope." Buffy laughed.

"Well you go stand over there in your own little group. Okay?"

"Are you telling me what to do?" Buffy asked him, getting angry.

Xander glance around the room, everyone was making 'NO' gestures.

"Yes." He replied calmly.

Shouting at him: "You have NO right to tell ME what to do!"

"Oh shut up, Buffy! I'm sick of you always getting your own way all the time. You think that you're so much better than everybody else!"

Everybody stood and watched the argument in amazement.

"I could take you any day, Harris!" sneered Buffy.

"Okay then. Now - to the death." He replied daring her.

Everyone gasped.

"You're on! Get back everybody, this may get ugly."

"There you go again, Miss High-and-Mighty. Well I'm gonna change that attitude of yours. Show me your stuff, Slayer!"

Buffy poked her tongue out at him and cart wheeled around the room so fast that she was just a blur of colour. She stopped, raised her fists ready to fight, and waited.

Xander cocked his head and looked at her.

"Is that all you've got? You know what you remind me of? Halloween. When we all changed into whatever costume we wore. You were the defenseless little noble woman. You fainted when you saw a drop of blood and ran away from Angel. That's what you are like now, a chicken. Weak. Just like when you ran away from the big, dark scary vampire. Your BOYFRIEND!"

Buffy ran over to him and started to fight.

"NEVER insult my boyfriend - especially in front of me!" she shouted.

"And what about YOU ? You haven't exactly had a fantastic love life. First you fall in love with a teacher who turns out to be a giant preying mantis who eats VIRGINS!"

"Well even if I was a virgin at least I'm not so bad that I made my love lose their soul!" he retorted.

Buffy just stopped and stared. Everybody watched in shocked silence.

"That was low. Even for you." She said quietly. "I hate you." Getting louder now: "Anyway, well then you fell for an ancient Inca mummy who wanted to give you the kiss of death – not that you didn't deserve it. That whole time you didn't even notice your best friend, you loved you so much. I'm glad Willow found Oz. She's too good for you."

They began to fight again, flipping each other around the room, trying to cause as much pain as possible.

"Tired?" laughed Xander.

"I'm gonna kill you Harris!" panted Buffy.

"Not if I kill you first, Summers" he smirked at her. "Why did you hav to come to Sunnydale anyway? We were fine without you."

"You didn't even know what a vampire was before I came!" she shouted.

"Exactly, we didn't have to waste all our childhood killing them. We were happy not knowing!"

"You would have been dead if it wasn't for me! You bastard!"

"Yeah, you can't really say that anymore now, can you?" Xander pinned her to the ground. He lifted his stake.

"Death by stake? Sounds perfect for a Slayer." He smiled down at her.


	9. Chapter 9

Buffy knocked the stake out of his hand and rolled away quickly, then stood up. They stood facing each other then Buffy rushed at him and Xander scooped her up off the ground and spun her around. 

"Xander" she giggled "Put me down!"

He did and she huggd him tightly. She kissed him on the cheek and said: "I love you Xander!"

Everyone looked on in shock, especially Cordelia and Angel.

Xander whispered into Buffy's ear: "Should we tell them?"

"Nope. Not yet. I'm so sorry!" she whispered back.

"Me too." They hugged again. "Okay, it's time."

Buffy held onto Xander, still hugging him. He lifted his head and spoke to everyone.

"We have something to tell you."

"Oh my god! You're having an affair!" gasped Rachel.


	10. Chapter 10

Buffy collapsed to the floor giggling, and Xander slapped her arm playfully. "Hey! I'm not that bad!" 

She finally stood, still not facing the group.

"She's back!" "I'm back!" Buffy and Xander then announced in unison.

She spun around to face everybody, and there was that familiar gleam they were used to seeing in her eyes back again. She looked like she was glowing.

She rushed over to Angel and hugged him. Then started to kiss him, when she heard someone cough behind her and she turned to see Xander standing there. She got down on her knees and bowed to him.

"Sorry Xander. I have broken one of your laws. Law #18. I must not kiss my boyfriend for more than three seconds in a public place." Everyone looked on in amazement.

Giles turned and spoke sternly to Xander. "What have you done to her?"


	11. Chapter 11

Buffy giggled then stood up. She turned to Angel, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Xander wolf whistled. Buffy broke off the kiss once again and turned, tackling Xander to the ground. 

"Do that again and you DIE! Whoops, wrong choice of words" she said.

Xander suddenly laughed. Buffy jumped up shrieking. "I hate you! Why didn't you remind me this WHOLE time I've been wearing a mini skirt!"

"They didn't seem to mind" Xander gestured to the males in the room. Buffy and he collapsed on the floor on laughter. Suddenly Willow began giggling too, and soon everyone was laughing. Finally they all calmed down and Buffy and Xander stood.

Spike: "Bloody hell. What was that all about?"

Buffy replied: "I was a bit stressed out and so Xander helped me out."

"By insulting you" inquired Michael.

"Hey, I can handle it, well except for the Angel losing his soul bit. And I insulted him too! Didn't i? Mine were good too, weren't they?"

"They were fine, I guess… you might need some lessons from me though, ya chicken!"

"Hey you better watch your back Harris!" Buffy said playfully "We didn't insult anyone else did we? I'm so sorry if we did." Buffy asked anxiously.

"Yeah, me too" said the arch angel leader.

"Nope. Hey, anyone for pizza?" asked Oz. "I'm hungry."

Everyone laughed.


End file.
